The quarterback limited his answers to short, clipped sentences while staring at a fixed point on the floor.

Johnson’s reluctance to let down his guard following a 55-0 win over Alabama A&M wasn’t a surprise considering the adversity he faced going from the expected face of coach Gus Malzahn’s program to a third wheel.

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“They never turned their back on me,” Johnson said after his first start since last year’s Iron Bowl. “Never looked at me no kind of way after all I’ve been through. I love those guys. I’m going to miss being around them.”

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Jordan D. Hill has covered high schools and athletes in the Bi-City area for the Ledger-Enquirer since January 2017. Prior to coming to Columbus, Hill was a freelancer for The Macon Telegraph and an intern for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A native of Jasper, Georgia, Hill is a graduate of Pickens High School and the University of Georgia.